Refrigerator cabinet construction



Nov. 23, 1943. R. w. HULL REFRIGERATOR CABINET CONSTRUCTION Original Filed llay 1a, 1938 Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 888.1

REFRIGERATOR. CABINET CQNSTRUCTION Robert Winter H to Phil connernille,

Philadelphia,

alllln Pa, a cor- Original application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 7

208,683, new Patent No. 2,278,778, dated March 17, 1942. Divided and this application June 25, o 1941, Serial No. 399,898

2 Claims. (Cl. 113- 116) This invention relates to refrigerator cabinet construction, and the primary object of the same is to provides. method of constructing an improved door for cabinets of this type whereby economy in manufacture results while at the same time obtaining durability, thermal insulating eillciency, strength with lightness in weight and other standards which must be upheld in a highly competitive market.

The improved door has spaced outer and inner walls of sheet metal or other material susceptible to the required shaping operations, with the con ventional insulation material therebetween. The outer wall is preferably, although not necessarily; of one-piece construction, while the inner wall consists essentially of two parts, namely, a door liner proper forming the inner face of the door severed on a line ei'ctending between the liner and frame portion of the blank; and then in.the assembling operation, the frame member is reversed with respect to the liner. The resultant construction is a door which will live up to the required specifications having an inner wall made up essentially of two parts co-related to facilitate the assembling operation including the mount.- ing and anchoring of the thermal break or gasket, while at the same time there is nowaste of metal in the drawing and blanking process.

The present application isa division of application Serial No. 208,683, med May 18, 1938, from which Patent No. 2,276,778, granted March 17, 1942, for Refrigerator cabinet construction resulted.

The objects and advantages of the improved door structure and method drinking the same will become more apparent in view'of the following description taken in conjunction with'the drawing,- wherein:

Figure l is a view in front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet having a door'thereonconstructed presentim' in accordance with the features of the vention;

Figure 2 is a section taken the central portion of a blanked and drawn sheet through seahng gasket.

metal piece shaped to constitute the door liner and frame member Figure 3 is a view in outer side elevation of the frame member after it has been severed from the door liner;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the liner after severance from the frame;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the door on the line 5-5, Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged inner side elevation of a portion of the door frame and adjacent door liner.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a refrigerator cabinet is generally indicated at C having a door D. The outer wall 5 of the door (note Figure 5) comprises a sheet metal member having a door Jamb portion 6 terminating in an inturned frame-attaching flange l. The" particular design of the outer wall of the door may be varied at will in accordance with the exterior design of the cabinet.

The inner wall of the door consists essentially of a liner, generally indicated at 8, and a frame member, generally indicated at 9, note particularly. Figure 5 where these parts are joined or connected in the finished door. Figure 2 shows the sheet metal piece or blank from which the liner and frame are made, the respective parts in Figure 2 being designated with the same reference characters as in the remaining figures except that in Figure 2 the exponent a is added. The liner 8, in the particular design shown is formed with a slight depression M, as it approaches its outer edge and is then turned inwardly providing a frame looking or connecting edge wall or shoulder ll terminating in an out-turned edge flange l2.

The line of severance is indicated at S in Figure -2, and at this point the inner edge of the frame member 9 is formed with an in-turned flange l3 which coacts with the shoulder II and flange l2 to provide a recess for the web of a The inner exposed face of the frame member is shown formed with a gasketsupporting rib or shoulder 14, a central wall I5 and an outer raised portion or rib i6 winch overlies and is secured to the flange l. i If the connected liner and frame members of Figure 5 are compared with the sheet metal blank of Figure 2, it will be noted that the shapes are identical except that the frame member 9 in Figure 5 is reversed with respect to the liner. Y

The frame member and liner are shown as they appear after, severance and prior to assembly in Figures 3 and s respectively. It will be noted from Figure 3 that the frame has integral comer portions I'I formed substantially plain or flat while the outer edge portion I8 is formed with, a plurality of screw holes it, for accommodating screws IQ for attaching the outer edge of the frame to the adjacent flange I of the outer wall I and also for mounting a garnish or edge gasket 20, note Figure 5. The door liner in the design illustrated has a plurality of central flutes 2i and a surrounding-flat or plain area 22.

In the assembling operation a plurality oi clips 23 may be used for supporting the liner with respect to the door frame, a suitable thermal break or gasket 24 being provided between the parts at this point, the clips being formed or bent over after positioning the liner. A suitable compression gasket 25 is provided and has an inwardly projecting web 25a fitting in'the, recessdeflned by the wall H of the liner and in-turned frame 9, fabricated for. assembly with the gasket and insulating strips in a simple and expeditious manner, the resultant door being relatively light,

. yet strong and rugged and capable of emcient service throughout the life of the cabinet. A

' frame member formed in this manner constitutes well as materials other than sheet metal used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In refrigerator cabinet construction the frame and said panel member by a, connecting 1 flange, severing the frame portion from the liner at the junction of said connecting flange and one. of said right angle flanges and assembling the parts with the frame member encircling said liner in reversed position with, respect to said liner and anchoring a compression gasket between the frame member and the liner in the channel formed by said right angle flanges and said connecting flange. V 2'. The method of forming a refrigerator door comprising an inner liner and asurrounding an integral one-piece unit, simplifying theassembling operation and rendering the door more sturdy.

While the blank of Figure 2 is preferably given a shape such that reversal of the frame with respect to the liner is required after severance it. is conceivable that a shape could be given the blank such that reversal in relative positions would not be necessary; and that other changes inconstruction and design may be adapted as frame separated by an insulating gasket, said method consisting in forming a unitary sheet to produce a blank including the liner and frame therefor in which the liner and frame are disposed in ofiset planes and adjacent edges of the liner and frame are each defined by a perpendicularly related flange extending toward the other thereof and in which said flanges are web connected ina plane intermediate the general planes of the liner and frame, severing the web to separate the liner and frame, reversing the frame in relation to the liner and assembling the liner and frame with the frame member encircling the liner and with said flanges in opposed relation and anchoring a compression gasket between the frame member and liner in the channel formed by said flanges.

ROBERT WINTER HULL. 

